


lacrima

by Latia



Series: 30 Day Otp Challenge [15]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, John is best pillow, gross crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-21 23:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latia/pseuds/Latia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even to this day, the act of emotional crying is still largely an oddity to people. Logically, nature shouldn't have allowed such a strange reaction to become the norm. </p><p>And Rose oh-so-detests things that are not built on logic.</p><p>(17. Spooning)</p>
            </blockquote>





	lacrima

The act of crying is, curiously, one that is still largely a mystery to the hallowed halls of science. Obviously the tear duct was something developed by the human body in order to rid the eye of any irritants--even the tiniest annoyance could end up being a danger to the delicate surface of the eye.

But where does emotional crying come in? What causes that one kind of crying in response to a pain that is too complex for words like "injury" or "wound," a kind that could leave the body in a state vunerable to disaster or predator?

These are the kinds of thoughts that rattle in her head on those rare, rare nights she wakes up in tears.

"Rose?"

Her eyes snap open. For a moment she thinks she can trick him, hold her breath, play possum, but the sobbing, the fucking  _sobbing_ won't stop. "J....J...." She can't even form words. Stupid.  _Stupid_.

"R...oh." With a click he lights up her room, just a little. "Oh, jeez." She summons enough courage to look at him directly and immediately wishes she hadn't. He's above her, wincing, startled, he's never seen her cry before. It's all so damn  _uncomfortable_ , him hovering between wanting to lean forward to comfort her and being too shy to try, and those idiot hiccuping sobs that won't stop coming out of her twitching chest.

"W...." God does she hate the sounds bubbling from her lips, almost painful in her throat. "Why did you come," she finally manages to stagger out.

"I uh, heard you scream." He fidgets. "Not really loud, a shout more like, but I thought you might be hurt and..."

Well that was just grand. "Did...Dave or Jade he...hear?" 

"N-no, I don't think so." (Thank God for small mercies.) John hesitates, and then lowers himself to sit next to her. "Do...would you feel better if you talked about it, or...?"

"No, not...not right now." The sobs have stopped, but every part of her face that can run is still running like the world is ending. She drags the back of her hand over her eyes. "Just...I'll be fine, in a moment."

He bites his lip. "Then...man, is there anything I can do to help?" Lord, he is so lost. It almost makes her want to laugh. John has always bragged about how he can see through her, through her walls of sarcasm and gadfly wit, but she doesn't think he ever wanted to see this. He's never seen her this vulnerable.

She's never been seen this vulnerable by others.

Is that true? She thinks back, if only to give her something to do. She didn't cry when she and Dave faced down the Green Sun. She didn't cry on the top of a grey castle next to John. She didn't cry with her hand clenched so, so tight around her crystal ball with Jade's remorseful voice in her ear. The last time she cried around someone who could see was when she let a few tears fall on a cat's coffin.  Years. Years of hiding this.

And here she is, a sniffling, watery wreck in front of him.

"....yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes, there is something you could do for me."

He jumps a bit when she shyly wraps her arms around him, but it's more because it was unexpected than anything. Within moments he's returning it eagerly, tucking her head under his chin--he's not so good with words, but hugs, he knows, even he can't mess up.

Without even having to ask him he moves down when she wants to, so that they're laying together. There is something warm and wonderful about the weight of his arms, something Egbertian that really can't be explained with words. It's one part the Breeze, subconsciously calming her shuddering breathing, but it's many more parts just him. As he rubs her back softly, she sinks into him, the way she imagines hugging a cloud would feel like--or, at least  _should_  feel like. Encompassing. Comfortable.

Safe.

"I miss her sometimes," she finally whispers.

It takes him a moment to respond. "So do I."

Rose pauses, looking up to quirk a brow. 

"I-I mean, not  _her_ , specifically..." He stammers, and it actually makes her laugh a little bit. "I just...I know what you mean. Sometimes I dream about my dad and..."

They're silent. She listens to his heart beat for a little while, the sound making her eyelids feel heavy. The only thing left of her tears is a slight stickiness to her cheeks.

"Thank you," she says.

"It's cool." It almost sounds like a laugh. As if comforting crying girls in the middle of the night is like lending a dollar, like offering a ride downtown. And the thing is, it might as well be.

To him it's just that natural.

She shifts, turning her back to him. It might have seemed cold to an observer, but it actually felt more safe to her, with his hands over her heart. Rose leans back, fitting her head perfectly in the groove of his chest. Her throat still aches, just a bit, but she suddenly realizes how peaceful she feels. Dimly she's aware of him pressing a little kiss to her ear.

With his heartbeat in her head, she falls into a dreamless sleep.

 

  


End file.
